The azulgrana prevail in the first semi-final match (89-72) with an outstanding Sertac Sanli (16 points)
The mastery of the rebound (42-26) allowed Barça to control the duel that opens the semifinals with a win to make it 1-0
Barça prevailed andn the first semi-final match at the Palau (89-72) against a Joventut who could not match the intensity of Barça in defense and his control on the rebound (42-26) to get ahead in this tie that will decide one of the finalists. Within the good Barça match as a whole, the contribution of the Turkish Sertac Sanli stood out (16 points) well supported by Davies and a Higgins who is getting better every day.
DATA SHEET
Endesa League
FCB
JOV
LINEUPS
Barca,89
(12+28+29X+20): Calathes (3), Laprovittola (XX), Hayes (7), Mirotic (11), Sanli (16)- starting five-, Davies (13), Martinez (3), Smits (9), Abrines (6), Higgins (9), Kuric (0), Jokubaitis (9).
Joventut, 72
(11+X20+17+24): Happy (6), Parra (8), Busquets (2), Willis (11), Tomic (10)- starting five-, Paul (9), Ribas (11), Ventura (0), Vives (7), Birgander (6), Maronka (2).
Referees:
Antonio Conde, Luis Miguel Castillo, Alfonso Olivares.
Incidents:
First match of the Endesa League semifinal, played at the Palau Blaugrana, before 5,786 spectators.
Both teams started the game with a defensive mentality-Saras put Nigel-Hayes in the game leaving Exum out of the duel-, thinking more about nullifying the rival than focusing on his offensive game. And that translated into an uneven start for both teams, with many easy mistakes in attack.
Feliz was soon charged with two fouls, and Vives had to enter to lead a much more imprecise Joventut than usual, pending to stop Mirotic and put the direction of Calathes in trouble.
More defense than attack
Those defenses were imposed on bad attacks with many inaccuracies. And it was Sanli, with a triple, who was the first to wake up the Barça attack (10-4). Although Penya finished the fourth better, with a run of 2-7, to get closer to a tight 12-11.
After those initial nerves, fIt was Barça who clearly took the initiative in the second quarter, with a Rolands Smits, who did damage inside the area, while Sanli answered from the triple. Too many open fronts for the black-and-whites.
Calathes penetrates to the basket in the presence of Brandon Paul
| EFE
That good Barça moment translated into a 9-2 run, coinciding with Abrines’ triple (23-15) and with Higgins’ doubts, that he had to leave the match due to a blow.
Barca wake up
Barça was more successful, finding good positions from a distance and it was difficult for Joventut to arrive in defense. Two more triples from Sanli, clearly the most successful of the Blaugrana in the first half (11) he gave Barça its maximum income (39-27).
La Penya, less effective in defense and with few rebounds, he clung to the free throws to not let Jasikevicius’s escape, that despite the six losses, they went into the break with a nine-point lead (40-31) and with control of the duel, although definitely open.
MIrotic was one of the highlights against Joventut
| EFE
Two three-pointers by Joel Parra after the break woke Joventut up (42-37) although what he really achieved was to spur Barça on and especially Nico Mirotic who scored two consecutive three-pointers. that together with one more from Sanli – the most inspired – took the azulgrana to their maximum (53-37).
They break the game
A much more intense Barça allowed him to keep pace and the differences began to grow with the control of the rebound and good internal actions from Davies and then Sanli, who brought Barça to total control of the duel at the end of the cfourth and practically in the match (69-48).
Jasikevicius took advantage of the final quarter to share a minutes thinking about the second semi-final match this coming Sunday, again at the Palau (12.30).